1981 Christmas song by the Waitresses
"
Christmas Wrapping
" is a
Christmas song
by the American
new wave
band
the Waitresses
. First released on
ZE Records
' 1981 compilation album
A Christmas Record
,
it later appeared on the band's 1982
EP
I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts
and numerous other holiday compilation albums.
[1]
It was written and produced by
Chris Butler
, with vocals by
Patty Donahue
.
[2]
The song received positive reviews;
AllMusic
described it as "one of the best holiday pop tunes ever recorded".
Writing
[
edit
]
In 1981,
ZE Records
asked each of its artists to record a Christmas song for a compilation album,
A Christmas Record
. The Waitresses were in the middle of a difficult tour and the Christmas song commission was "the last thing we wanted", Butler said later.
[3]
[4]
Butler wrote the song that August, assembling it from assorted unused
riffs
.
[5]
He finished the lyrics in a taxi on the way to the recording studio,
[6]
Electric Lady Studios
in
Greenwich Village
.
[7]
Butler said the lyrics came from his hatred of Christmas: "Everybody I knew in New York was running around like a bunch of fiends. It wasn't about joy. It was something to cope with."
[5]
The bassist,
Tracy Wormworth
, was inspired by
Bernard Edwards'
bassline on the recently released "
Good Times
" by
Chic
.
[6]
Written while
hip hop music
was beginning to gain prominence, "Christmas Wrapping" is "almost rapped" by Donahue.
[5]
Its title, a pun on "rapping",
[8]
alludes to the 1979 song "
Christmas Rappin'
" by
Kurtis Blow
.
[9]
Butler said he also "liked the idea of the word 'wrap,' like a wraparound, because the story is circular".
[9]
Lyrics
[
edit
]
"Christmas Wrapping" is told from the perspective of an unpartnered woman, who was determined not to participate in the exhausting holiday season after a year that was so busy, she has been unable to go on a date with an appealing gentleman she met months ago. Preparing to dine alone on Christmas Eve, she runs into the fellow in a grocery store, bringing "the year to a very happy ending".
[10]
Release
[
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]
"Christmas Wrapping" was released as a single in the UK in 1981 on
Island Records
. It did not initially make the
charts
, but was reissued in 1982 and reached No. 45 on the
UK Singles Chart
that December.
[11]
It remains the Waitresses' highest-charting single in the UK.
[12]
Butler said the reception was a rejuvenating gift for the band: "We do the Christmas song, forget about it and go back on the road. The next thing I know when calling back to New York is that it's all over the radio and much to our surprise it leaps over our heads and hits all the cities where we're heading and all of a sudden we're back on an upswing again."
[3]
Legacy
[
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]
In 2005,
Guardian
journalist Dorian Lynskey called the song "fizzing, funky dance-around-the-Christmas-tree music for Brooklyn hipsters".
[13]
In 2012, the
Daily Telegraph
writer Bernadette McNulty called it "one of the most charming, insouciant festive songs ever".
[8]
The
AllMusic
reviewer Andy Hinds called it "one of the best holiday pop tunes ever recorded".
[1]
During the 2016 Christmas season, it re-entered the singles chart at number 96.
[12]
The song appears in numerous holiday-music compilations, including
The Edge of Christmas
,
Dr. Demento's Holidays in Dementia
, and
Now That's What I Call Christmas!: The Signature Collection
.
[14]
The song has been used in films including
The Tomorrow War
(2021)
[15]
and
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
(2022).
[16]
Each festive season, Butler makes a donation to the
Akron-Summit County children's library
in the name of the first person to tell him they heard "Christmas Wrapping" on the radio.
[6]
Covers
[
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]
"Christmas Wrapping" was covered by the British pop group
Spice Girls
as a B-side for their 1998 single "
Goodbye
",
[17]
with lyrics altered to include a reference to British supermarket chain
Tesco
instead of the American chain
A&P
.
[6]
It has also been covered by
Save Ferris
(with lyrics altered for a Jewish perspective),
[18]
Kate Nash
,
[19]
the
Front Bottoms
,
[20]
the
Donnas
,
[21]
Summer Camp
,
[21]
the cast of the Broadway musical
Wicked
,
[22]
Miranda Cosgrove
covered the song for the movie
Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh
,
[23]
comedian
Doug Benson
,
[24]
Martha Wainwright
,
[25]
the cast of the TV show
Glee
(with
Heather Morris
on lead vocals)
,
[26]
Disney Channel
star
Bella Thorne
,
[27]
Haim
,
Electric Six
,
[28]
and The Peaches. British/Irish girl band
the Saturdays
covered the song for the film
Get Santa
.
[29]
Kylie Minogue
recorded the song with
Iggy Pop
for her 2015 album,
Kylie Christmas
.
[30]
Sinkane
, studying a Masters in composition, produced a cover for Christmas 2020. It featured Nancy Whang (
LCD Soundsystem
) singing lead, Nick Millhiser (
Holy Ghost!
) on drums, and
Money Mark
(
The Beastie Boys
) on Moog.
[31]
Profits from this release went to The Food Bank for New York City.
Track listings and formats
[
edit
]
- "Christmas Wrapping" ? 3:55
- "Hangover 1/1/83" ? 4:30
- "Christmas Wrapping" (Long Version) ? 5:23
- "Hangover 1/1/83" ? 4:30
- "Christmas Wrapping" (Single Edit Version) ? 4:30
- "Christmas Wrapping" (Long Version) ? 5:23
- "Hangover 1/1/83" ? 4:30
Credits and personnel
[
edit
]
Credits and personnel are adapted from "Christmas Wrapping" vinyl liner notes.
[32]
Charts
[
edit
]
Certifications
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"I Could Rule the World If I Could Only Get the Parts"
.
Allmusic
. Retrieved
December 23,
2012
.
- ^
NME TV Song Stories - The Waitresses, 'Christmas Wrapping'
on
YouTube
- ^
a
b
Pouncey, Edwin (March 6, 1982).
"The Waitresses: What The Butler Said"
.
Sounds
. Retrieved
November 17,
2018
– via
Rock's Backpages
.
- ^
Simpson, Dave (December 13, 2020).
"Christmas Wrapping: The Waitresses on how they made a festive classic"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
December 18,
2020
.
- ^
a
b
c
Petrick, John (December 22, 2005).
"How an obscure 80s punk band created a Christmas classic"
.
The Star
. Archived from
the original
on July 22, 2011
. Retrieved
December 23,
2012
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Christmas Wrapping: the Waitresses on how they made a festive classic"
.
The Guardian
. December 13, 2020
. Retrieved
December 14,
2020
.
- ^
Price, Mark J.
"
'Christmas Wrapping,' an unlikely hit for The Waitresses, spreads cheer 40 years later"
.
Akron Beacon Journal
. Retrieved
December 7,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
McNultey, Bernadette (December 16, 2012).
"Christmas songs advent calendar: Day 16. The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping"
.
The Telegraph
. Retrieved
December 23,
2012
.
- ^
a
b
Spears, Steve (December 5, 2016).
"The story behind ... 'Christmas Wrapping' by The Waitresses"
.
Tampa Bay Times
. Retrieved
December 18,
2019
.
- ^
Urycki, Mark.
"Couldn't Miss This One: Behind 'Christmas Wrapping'
"
.
NPR.org
. NPR
. Retrieved
December 24,
2014
.
- ^
Betts, Graham (2004).
Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004
(1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 829.
ISBN
0-00-717931-6
.
- ^
a
b
"Waitresses Chart History"
.
Official Charts
. Official Charts Company
. Retrieved
April 11,
2017
.
- ^
Lynskey, Dorian (December 23, 2005).
"Readers recommend: alternative Christmas songs"
.
The Guardian
. Retrieved
December 23,
2012
.
- ^
Christmas Wrapping
at
AllMusic
. Retrieved 2019-12-21.
- ^
Price, Mark J.
"
'Christmas Wrapping,' an unlikely hit for The Waitresses, spreads cheer 40 years later"
.
Akron Beacon Journal
. Retrieved
December 7,
2022
.
- ^
Reul, Katie (December 1, 2022).
"
'The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special': Every Throwback Christmas Song in James Gunn's Marvel One-Off"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
December 7,
2022
.
- ^
"18 Alternative Festive Songs To Freshen Up Your Christmas Playlist"
.
HuffPost
. December 18, 2017
. Retrieved
December 26,
2022
.
- ^
Jane, Ally (December 6, 2013).
"Video Vault, Episode 15: Save Ferris "Christmas Wrapping"
"
.
333sound
. Archived from
the original
on December 25, 2013
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
"Artist Of The Week: Kate Nash"
.
Buzzworthy
.
MTV
. January 7, 2008
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
Staff (December 20, 2011).
"MP3: The Front Bottoms Get In The Holiday Spirit With "Christmas Wrapping"
"
.
Filter
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
a
b
"Summer Camp Cover "Christmas Wrapping"
"
.
Stereogum
. December 3, 2010
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
Gans, Andrew (November 11, 2004).
"Stars From
Avenue Q
,
Wicked
,
Hairspray
and More Featured on "Carols for a Cure Volume 6"
"
.
Playbill
. Archived from
the original
on December 25, 2013
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
"Christmas Wrapping - Single Miranda Cosgrove"
.
iTunes Store
.
Apple
. December 16, 2008
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
"Comedy Death-Ray Christmas CD"
. Earwolf.com. 2010. Archived from
the original
on December 5, 2010
. Retrieved
December 5,
2010
.
- ^
"A Not So Silent Night"
.
Revelation Films
. Archived from
the original
on December 25, 2013
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
VanDerWerff, Emily (December 14, 2011).
"
Glee
: "Extraordinary Merry Christmas"
"
.
The A.V. Club
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
Crooks, Amy (October 16, 2013).
"Disney "Holidays Unwrapped" Details"
.
Dis411
. Archived from
the original
on October 27, 2021
. Retrieved
December 24,
2013
.
- ^
"A Very Electric SiXmas & Chill Out!"
.
Discogs.com
. Retrieved
December 6,
2021
.
- ^
"
'Get Santa' Soundtrack Released"
. Filmmusicreporter.com. December 3, 2014
. Retrieved
October 19,
2018
.
- ^
Sendra, Tim.
Kylie Minogue: 'Kylie Christmas'
at
AllMusic
. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
- ^
"Christmas Wrapping, by SINKANE"
.
SINKANE
.
- ^
a
b
Christmas Wrapping
(UK 7" Vinyl liner notes). The Waitresses. ZE Records. 1982. WIP 6821.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Christmas Wrapping
(UK 12" Vinyl liner notes). The Waitresses. ZE Records. 1983. ZEREC.EP59.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
Christmas Wrapping
(FRA CD Single liner notes). The Waitresses. ZE Records. 2016. ZEREC.EP59.
{{
cite AV media notes
}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
link
)
- ^
"Official Singles Chart Top 100"
.
Official Charts Company
.
- ^
"The Waitresses Chart History (Alternative Digital Songs Sales)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
December 24,
2020
.
- ^
"The Waitresses Chart History (Rock Digital Songs Sales)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
December 24,
2020
.
- ^
"The Waitresses Chart History (Rock Streaming Songs)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
December 24,
2020
.
- ^
"The Waitresses Chart History (Holiday 100)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
December 24,
2020
.
- ^
"The Waitresses Chart History (Holiday Digital Song Sales)"
.
Billboard
. Retrieved
December 24,
2020
.
- ^
"British single certifications ? Waitresses ? Christmas Wrapping"
.
British Phonographic Industry
. Retrieved
December 21,
2021
.
External links
[
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]